The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Pratt & Whitney an undefinitized contract award (UCA) not to exceed $1,122,306,649 for F135 production engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. Pratt & Whitney and the DoD have reached a tentative agreement on key terms for the low rate initial production (LRIP) 5 contract which contains fixed-price and cost-plus incentive fee elements. A total of $358,597,078 is being obligated at time of award, in addition to the $138,800,000 obligated in 2011 for advanced acquisition materials. This LRIP contract includes production engines, spare parts, program management, engineering support for production, sustainment and field support for the F135 engines. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"This UCA is a vital step to allow Pratt & Whitney and our STOVL lift system partner, Rolls-Royce, to continue meeting key milestones toward LRIP 5 production deliveries," said Bennett Croswell, president of Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney. "We anticipate contract negotiations with the F-35 Joint Program Office that will reflect the great progress being made on F135 affordability."

The fifth lot of engines includes 21 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) engines for the U.S. Air Force; six carrier variant (CV) engines for the U.S. Navy; and three short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Marine Corps. The engines in LRIP 5 will support the U.S. Services with main engine deliveries slated to begin in late-2012.

Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth-generation fighter engine for the United States and its allies around the world.